Experienced Leader

Alaska Native Medical Center Pharmacy Contributes to Project HOPE

A graduate of Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science, Charles Clement also holds a PhD in public administration from the University of Alaska. He applies his training as president and CEO of Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). Charles Clement has also served on the boards of several local organizations, including the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, which recently announced that the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) Pharmacy has participated in Project HOPE (Harm reduction, Overdose Prevention, and Education).

The ANMC Pharmacy has joined forces with the Aurora Borealis Branch of Commissioned Officers Association in work on Project HOPE, an initiative of the U.S. Public Health Service designed to address the rise in opioid overdoses. Together, the organizations created 273 Project HOPE overdose-response kits, which include Narcan (naloxone), a medication that reverses the effect of opioids.

Recommended by the Surgeon General, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the World Health Organization, naloxone combats opioid overdose impacts. An opioid overdose inhibits the parts of the brain that control breathing and can lead to death. The Project HOPE kits include two doses of naloxone with instructions on administration, along with sanitary gloves and a carrying case.